Adrian vs Samson
Adrian and Samsoncompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adrian was ranked #70 and Samson #439 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #200 and Samson #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #244 and Samson #651 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Adrian was ranked #259 and Samson #342 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #478 and Samson #619 among boys in Scotland.
Adrian and Samson over time
Adrian and Samson appear together in 3 published lists, across 79 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Samson in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Adrian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Samson in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Samson were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 36 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #70 and #439.
List by list
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1969–2025
Adrian held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #7 in 2010, Samson #349 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adrian #70, Samson #439.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Samson #452 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #244, Samson #651.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1999–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #110 in 2010, Samson #347 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #200, Samson #785.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Adrian | Samson |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Latin name Hadrianus. Borne by several saints and six popes, including the only English pope, Adrian IV. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.dɹi.ən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | Norway · Boys #439 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adrian has a recorded origin (Latin); Samson does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Samson both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Samson doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Adrian
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #87 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1958–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2005 (recorded 1958–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #70 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Samson
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #541 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #439 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys